Page 108 of Ungodly Rich

“Are you angry that I didn’t involve you?” Hera asked hesitantly.

“No, of course not. But it’s easier when I know what you’re up to, so I can further your interests,” Zeus offered. “Not to mention that I can help cover for you. Demeter cornered me this morning,accusing me of breaking the treaty we all signed at Olympus a few years ago.”

Hera rolled her eyes. “The one where we all swore not to interfere with the earth’s natural climate?” Demeter thought that the gods had brought on global warming by constantly interfering with weather patterns—forcing sunshine on days that were important to them, calling up storms when it suited their moods.

“Yes, exactly. She thought the sudden onset of the storm was strange. I told her that she was being paranoid, of course,” Zeus assured her. “I said no one in the family would want to prevent Ares from getting married. That she should have been suspicious if the weather wastooperfect.”

“Good thing she doesn’t know about all the galas where you’ve chased off storms for me,” Hera joked, but Zeus wasn’t to be deterred.

“Then Ares confronted me, demanding that I get the power back on. I told him no, since I had a feeling that this might be your doing.”

“Thank you,” Hera said quietly.

A smile tugged at Zeus’s mouth as he added, “Next time you scheme, let me in on it? We could have fun, working together.”

Fun.Another word that hadn’t been used in their marriage for far too long.

“We are quite the team,” Hera agreed.

In that moment, she felt the truth of her words. She and Zeus had their flaws, sure, but wasn’t that the nature of marriage? The important thing was the life they had built together.

Zeus chuckled again. “I should be grateful that you’ve never turned your weapons of mass destruction on me.”

“Stay on my good side and you’ll never have to worry,” Hera teased.

He reached around her torso to flip her over, then tugged her flush against him. “I’m not quite sure which side of you I want to be on.”

They hadn’t been this insatiable for each other since…Hera didn’t know how long. She was startled by the flood of desire that rushed up in her, eager to meet his.

Just as Zeus’s mouth lowered to hers, they heard knocking at the door. “Hera? Please, we need to talk.”

What the hell wasHermesdoing here?

“Hera,” Hermes called out again, undeterred. “I know you’re in there. Please, just give me a few minutes of your time. I want to discuss what’s happening with Julia. There are things you need to know.”

“Get rid of him, or I will.” Zeus’s words crackled with irritation.

Hera slid out of bed and hurried to the hotel’s walk-in closet, where she grabbed one of the fluffy white robes and hurried to tie it on. She didn’t bother to hide her annoyance as she opened the door to their suite.

“What is it?” she demanded.

Hermes stood before her, looking disheveled and distracted. Hera longed to tell him that he needed to shave; he resembled the scruffy messenger boy who delivered pot to Dionysus in the Hamptons.

“Please, call off the storm,” Hermes began. “I know you asked Poseidon to summon it, because you wanted to keep Julia and Ares from marrying.”

How did he know? And how dare he accuseher,the queen of the gods? Hera bristled. “It’s too late, Hermes. This wedding isn’t going to happen.”

“Because you and Aphrodite made sure of it!” Hermes’s eyes darted past her, as if he might be able to see into the suite’s bedroom. “Does Zeus know what you’ve done?”

“Quite frankly, Hermes, I’m shocked by your impertinence. Get out of here, before my husband fries you to a crisp.” Hera slammed the door in his face.

She took a deep breath, shaking off the unpleasantness of that encounter, then padded back into the bedroom.

“Sorry about that interruption. Now, where were we?” she asked, untying the robe so that it dropped in a pool to the floor.

Zeus’s eyes lit up appreciatively, but he still asked, “What did Hermes want?”

“I had asked him to spy on Julia. He was reporting back.”